Walter Green presents: The Nashville and Decatur Railroad

3PM Sunday, January 15, 2023

The Fleming Center at Carnton Plantation, Franklin, TN

The kickoff of the 2023 Franklin Civil War Round Table begins Sunday, January 15th with groundbreaking work on one of the key rail lines in Middle Tennessee. The Nashville and Decatur began to operate only five months before the start of the Civil War and was greatly impacted by the federal occupation of Nashville. Passing through Confederate held territory including Franklin south, the line was subjected to sabotage and violent activity until the final days of the war.

Professional civil and structural engineer, Walter Green, has released, “The Nashville and Decatur in the Civil War, the History of an Embattled Railroad”; published in 2022. It tells of raids, the roll of the United States Colored Troops, and the impact of well-known names like Forrest and Dodge. Walter Green has written on a topic that has not been addressed before, especially in the incredible detail he presents. 

Walter Green’s Franklin roots go deep, his family has been involved in the interpretation of Franklin’s history and heritage for decades. He will have his book available at this important Franklin Civil War Round Table event. We meet at Carnton’s Fleming Center at 3:00 PM on Sunday, January 15th.  The public is invited.

Upcoming Round Tables:

Sunday, February 12, 2023

Well-known author and historian Jack Hurst will present his new book on U.S. Grant in February.

Sunday, March 12, 2023

March 2023 - Blogger and historian John Banks will talk about his work in the area of blogs.

“Reverend Thomas Markham and the Battle of Franklin” at March Round Table

On Sunday, March 8th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host historian Joseph Ricci, who will present, “Reverend Thomas Markham and the Battle of Franklin.”

Mississippian and Presbyterian minister Thomas Markham had a front row seat at some of the Civil War’s greatest events including the Vicksburg Siege, the fall of Atlanta and the Battle of Franklin. His letters to family and friends, including those at Franklin’s Carnton, are fascinating first-hand accounts of the war years.

Ricci is a native of New Orleans, a graduate assistant at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, and is currently working on his thesis, A Tear of Patriotism: Brigadier General George Day Wagner and the Advanced Line at the Battle of Franklin.  He has served as curator at New Orleans’ oldest museum, Confederate Memorial Hall, and has contributed to publications about Thomas Markham and the postwar years of General John Bell Hood.

The event is free to the public and this month held at Franklin’s Hiram Mason Lodge located at 115 South 2nd Avenue in Franklin.  Tours will be given after the presentation for those interested in this historic Franklin structure.

The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton Plantation's Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit http://www.franklinscharge.org/round-table.

“Jacob Cox, Emerson Opdycke, and Competing Memories of the Battle of Franklin” at February Round Table

On Sunday, February 9th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host author and historian Dr. Gene Schmiel, who will present, “Jacob Cox, Emerson Opdycke, and Competing Memories of the Battle of Franklin.”

After the November 1864 Battle of Franklin, several Federal commanders including Generals John Schofield, David Stanley, Jacob Cox and Emerson Opdycke all claimed credit for their victory. Opdycke and Cox, especially, conducted a post-war debate which ultimately ended their friendship. Dr. Schmiel will delve into their conflicting and competing memories of the fateful day of November 30, 1864.

Schmiel holds a Ph. D. degree from The Ohio State University and was an Assistant Professor of History at St. Francis University (PA) before becoming a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State which included service as a US Ambassador. He resides in Gainesville, Virginia.

Schmiel’s first book, Citizen-General: Jacob Dolson Cox and the Civil War Era, was published in 2014 by Ohio University Press. It was a History Book Club selection and deemed "best biography of the year" by Civil War Books and Authors.

Schmiel's second book, Lincoln, Antietam, and a Northern Lost Cause, was published in April 2019. It is a speculative history about the Battle of Antietam where an overwhelming Union victory there could have possibly resulted in the end of the war preservation of slavery. His third book, also released in 2019, is Ohio Heroes of the Battle of Franklin.

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton Plantation's Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit http://www.franklinscharge.org/round-table

“General Patrick Cleburne” at January Round Table

On Sunday, January 12th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host historian and author Robert Jenkins, who will present a program on General Patrick Cleburne.

Patrick Cleburne is a multi-faceted figure in Civil War history. Irish-born Cleburne served in the British Army before coming to Helena, Arkansas to make a new life. He joined the Confederate Army, fighting for his new homeland. Rising up through the officer ranks, in 1864 he called for the arming of black slaves to fight for the Army of Tennessee. Cleburne went into the charge and was killed in the Battle of Franklin.

Jenkins is a Chamblee, Georgia native, now practicing law in Dalton, Georgia.  He has been a student of the Civil War since childhood. He is a graduate of Georgia Southern and received his law degree from Mercer University.

Jenkins released The Battle of Peachtree Creek:  Hood’s First Sortie in 2014 and followed up with To the Gates of Atlanta: From Kennesaw Mountain to Peach Tree Creek in 2015. 

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton Plantation's Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit http://www.franklinscharge.org/round-table.

“The Long History of Franklin Civil War Preservation” at December Round Table

On Sunday, December 8th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host round table founder Gregory L. Wade who will present “The Long History of Franklin Preservation.”

There was a complex evolution of America’s battlefield parks that began as soon as the Civil War ended. Wade will trace the post-war efforts to recognize the soldiers who fought at Franklin and the modern-day efforts since 2003,including how over 140 acres of Franklin’s battlefield have been saved, and with more to come.
 
Wade has served on various preservation-related boards including Franklin’s Charge and has seen the modern movement in its ups and downs. Come hear why it took so long for Franklin to begin preserving its hallowed grounds in what the American Battlefield Trust's Jim Lighthizer says, “is a miracle.” Many of the leaders in the modern era will be in attendance.
 
Additionally, you may have attended the 2018 round table presentation when Park Ranger Jerry Wooten spoke on Johnsonville and or our tour of that battlefield in March of 2019. Wooten’s new book on Johnsonville is out and he will be in attendance to sign books and visit.

There will also be a selection of high-quality door prizes.

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton Plantation's Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit http://www.franklinscharge.org/round-table

“How the War of 1812 Set the Stage for 1860” at Noovember Round Table

On Sunday, November 10th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host local author Tony L. Turnbow who will present “How the War of 1812 Set the Stage for 1860.”

Although Andrew Jackson died sixteen years before the Civil War, Old Hickory would build on military and diplomatic skills he honed in the War of 1812.These skills would come into play in the decades to follow, such as during the Nullification Movement in which South Carolina chose to ignore federal law pertaining to tariffs. Jackson said one state trying to annul a law of the United States was “incompatible with the existence of the Union” and in 1833 prepared to use military force, if needed, to enforce the tariffs. Jackson also spoke about the need to keep the Union solvent and under one system of laws.

Turnbow has studied the history of the Old Natchez Trace for over thirty years and has written a full-length play about the mysterious death of explorer Meriwether Lewis. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Tennessee and practices law in Franklin.  He has served on various boards including the Natchez Trace Parkway Association and the Lewis and Clark Trust Inc.

Turnbow recently released, “Hardened to Hickory: The Missing Chapter in Andrew Jackson’s Life” which one reviewer said is “original and thrillingly dramatic.” This work explores the complex issues of dealing with foreign powers and the various Indian tribes in the formative years of our nation. He will have books on hand and will be signing after his presentation.

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton Plantation's Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit http://www.franklinscharge.org/round-table

“Rails, Trails, and War: The Life of Major General Grenville M. Dodge” at October Round Table

On Sunday, October 13th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host Nashville attorney, historian, and preservationist, Todd Van Beck who will present “Rails, Trails, and War: The Life of Major General Grenville M. Dodge.”

Van Beck will tell the story of the life and times of a today obscure figure in the great American Civil War.  General Grenville was the man who hung young Sam Davis, the young Confederate martyr whose statue today graces the lawn of the Tennessee State Capitol, and was the man who was the Chief Engineer of the Union Pacific Railroad whose work manifestly contributed to the accomplishment of the Transcontinental Railroad. Even in the light of obscurity however the legacy of Major General Grenville M. Dodge is a story worth keeping alive. 

Van Beck is the Director of Continuing Education studies at John A. Gupton College in Nashville. He has published and lectured for many years on Civil War embalming, funeral customs and embalming surgeons. He has published over 600 professional articles, training manuals and books on a wide variety of topics ranging from funeral customs and practices, burial and cremation history and trends, to operation business practices, to bereavement counseling, sociology of death and dying, and the psychology of grief. 

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton Plantation's Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit www.franklinscharge.org/the-round-table

“The Incredible Story of Col. William Shy” at September Round Table

On Sunday, September 8th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host Nashville attorney, historian, and preservationist, James D. Kay who will present “The Incredible Story of Col. William Shy.” 

William Shy was born in Bourbon, Kentucky and like many families of the time, his parents were split on which direction to go when war clouds loomed. His father sided with the North and his mother with the South. When William’s older brother, James, organized the Perry Guards which later became part of the 20th Tennessee Infantry, William joined him as a private in the Confederate Army. Serving with the Army of Tennessee with men from Middle Tennessee, including Williamson and Davidson counties, William rose through the ranks until he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in late 1863 and later colonel just before the Battle of Nashville. He was killed at Nashville on what is known today as Shy’s Hill. Shy’s story becomes intertwined with local Franklin history well after his death and even ultimately involves the University of Tennessee. 

Kay is a partner in the Nashville law firm of Kay and Griffin. He received his undergraduate degree at Auburn University and law degree from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He has contributed to several books and media productions about the Civil War and has been a leader in historical preservation work in Nashville with the Battle of Nashville Preservation Society. He has held memberships or leadership positions with the Founders of Fort Negley, Travellers Rest, and the Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association. 

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton Plantation's Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit: www.franklinscharge.org/round-table

“In the Shadows: Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury and the Confederate Secret Service” at August Round Table

On Sunday, August 11th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host Franklin’s Chip Hooper who will present “In the Shadows: Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury and the Confederate Secret Service.” 

At the beginning of the Civil War, Commander Matthew F. Maury left the US Navy and was initially named Chief of Sea Coast, River and Harbor Defenses, for the Confederate States Navy. Because of his fame as an author and explorer charting the world’s oceans and seas, he was sent to England and France as a chief agent in the Confederate Secret Service. One of his best-known books was The Physical Geography of the Sea, known as the first full work on oceanography. Maury, who lived in Franklin during his formative years, worked in the shadows procuring ships for the CSA and as an unofficial Confederate diplomat. He was also a cousin of Abram Maury, Franklin, Tennessee’s founder. 

Over the last ten years, Hooper has amassed the largest private collection of Commander Maury’s papers known which he calls “The Pathfinder Papers.” Hooper will discuss Maury’s role abroad and will for the first time, share some of his findings from these papers while introducing original letters and documents to the audience. 

A Middle Tennessee native, Chip Hooper’s great-grandfather, Captain Thomas J. Carothers, served in Company H of the 20thTennessee Infantry and was severely wounded at the November 1864, Battle of Franklin. Hooper has served on the Boards of the Battle of Franklin Trust, The Historic Franklin Masonic Hall Foundation and the Maury County Historical Society and recently received a research grant from The College of William and Mary. 

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton Plantation's Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit https://franklinscharge.org/the-round-table

“Maps and Documents of the Civil War” at July Round Table

On Sunday, July 14th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host local map and print dealer Mel Ferrer who will present “Maps and Documents of the Civil War.” 

Ferrer is gallery director of the Rare Prints Gallery in downtown Franklin, which has been part of the Franklin landscape since 2005. The gallery sells lithographs, maps, prints and paintings and Civil War relics. 

Ferrer graduated from the Memphis College of Art with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis on graphics and illustration. After a period in Minneapolis, MN where he owned a design business, he now resides in Spring Hill with his wife and son. 

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton Plantation's Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit www.franklinscharge.org/the-round-table

“Behind the Rifle: Women Soldiers in the Civil War” at June Round Table

On Sunday, June 9th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host author and historian Shelby Harriel who will present “Behind the Rifle: Women Soldiers in the Civil War.”

During the Civil War it was not unheard of to have female soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder with men on the firing lines. These soldiers were disguised as men and had various motivations for going to war. Many wanted to be near their husbands or other loved ones, and some simply sought adventure. Harriel will relate these stories, including women who served on picket duty along the Rappahannock, suffered in Andersonville prison, and incurred wounds in battles such as Gettysburg and the Wilderness.

Shelby Harriel received her B.A. in History and her M.Ed from the University of Southern Mississippi. She has written numerous articles on the Civil War for various publications and has spoken to many groups such as the Louisiana Civil War Round Table and the Louisiana Historical Association’s annual meeting. Her new book, “Behind the Rifle: Women Soldiers in the Civil War Mississippi,” has just been released by the University of Mississippi Press. She last appeared at the FCWRT in 2016 and we are pleased to have her back.  Her book will be available for purchase.

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton Plantation's Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit https://www.franklinscharge.org/the-round-table

“Confederates Once, Americans Twice: Former Confederates and the Building of Post War America” at April Round Table

On Sunday, April 14th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host author and historian Stephen “Sam” Hood who will present “Confederates Once, Americans Twice:  Former Confederates and the Building of Post War America.”

In the years following the Civil War, large numbers of Confederates veterans both recovered from physical, mental, moral, and economic devastation and attained accomplishments important to moving the United States past the war.   Many major universities, churches and businesses were founded or greatly assisted by the talents of former Confederate soldiers.  Contributions were made by men like Josiah Gorgas, who became vice chancellor of the University of the South and later served as president of the University of Alabama.

Hood, a descendant of General John Bell Hood, resides in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and grew up in West Virginia.  A graduate of Marshall University, he was later instrumental in building that school’s soccer program, elected to the West Virginia Soccer Hall of Fame and known by many in West Virginia for his contributions to that university. A retired building contractor and Marine Corps veteran, he has served on various boards including Confederate Memorial Hall in New Orleans and the Blue and Gray Educational Society.

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton’s Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit https://www.franklinscharge.org/the-round-table.

“The Siege of Chattanooga and Wheeler’s Raid” at March Round Table

On Sunday, March 10th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Dr. Phillip Kimmerly to speak on “The 1863 Siege of Chattanooga and Wheeler’s Raid.”

In the fall of 1863, the Federal Army of the Cumberland was trapped in Chattanooga for five harrowing weeks, near starvation, and depending upon a single difficult road over mountainous terrain for survival. Dr. Kimmerly will tell the story of both men and animals suffering and struggling to move badly needed supplies to starving troops to the strategically critical city of Chattanooga. In severe environmental conditions and with the physical limitations of standard-issue quartermaster wagons going up and down rough and dangerous slopes, more than twelve thousand animals would die before the siege was broken and the famous Cracker Line established. During this siege, Confederate General Joe Wheeler’s Sequatchie Valley attack on a ten-mile long federal wagon train destroyed 50% of their supply wagons in one of the biggest captures of Union supplies during the war.
 
Kemmerly is a Professor Emeritus of Geology at Austin Peay State University where he taught for forty years. He is a licensed professional geologist and has served as a geological consultant in both the government and private sectors for over three decades. Since retiring in 2011, he has combined his interest in the Civil War and his scientific background to issues in Civil War military history.  He has published numerous Civil War articles with his latest coming out in the summer of 2019 dealing with how the Army of the Ohio marched past John Bell Hood’s army at Spring Hill. Dr. Kemmerly last spoke at the FCWRT in January 2017 on the topic of environmental conditions during the battle of Nashville.

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton’s Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit https://www.franklinscharge.org/the-round-table.

“The Rise of Parkers Crossroads Battlefield” at February Round Table

On Sunday, February 10th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Tennessee General Assembly member Steve McDaniel to speak on “The Rise of the Parkers Crossroads Battlefield.”

In 1993, the Parker's Crossroads Battlefield Association was created under the leadership of McDaniel, and since that time has acquired 349 acres. The battlefield is located halfway between Nashville and Memphis and literally bisected by Interstate-40. It was here Christmas Eve 1862 where federal forces nearly trapped the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest until he gave the order “charge them both ways.” The audacity of such an order enabled the Confederates to escape the trap and cross the Tennessee River at nearby Clifton. The park has several miles of walking trails, a visitors and event center and is one of the best-preserved battlefields in the country.

Representative McDaniel is a businessowner, public servant, and historian. He has received numerous awards including the Civil War Trust’s State Preservation Leadership Award, the UDC’s Jefferson Davis Award, The Robert E. Lee Award for Heritage Preservation and the Dr. Frank Vandiver Award of the Houston Civil War Round Table.

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton’s Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit https://www.franklinscharge.org/the-round-table.

“General Grant During Appomattox” at January Round Table

On Sunday, January 13th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Dr. E. C. (Curt) Fields in a return visit to speak on “General Grant During Appomattox.”

Fields’ life-long interest in the American Civil War and his admiration for General Ulysses S. Grant is the background for his dramatic portrayal of the famous general to groups all over the United States as well as foreign audiences.  Fields is the same height and build as General Grant and his presentation is given in the first person, quoting from Grant’s memoirs and letters.

Fields holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Education from the University of Memphis and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration and Curriculum from Michigan State University.  He has spoken on leadership to various corporations including Caterpillar and International Paper. Fields has also served as a Memphis police officer and received a Life Saving Medal for action in the line of duty. He has appeared at numerous Civil War events including the 150th anniversary of Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, and is featured in a Discovery Channel documentary about Grant and several National Park Service visitor center productions.

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton’s Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit https://www.franklinscharge.org/the-round-table.

“Was the War in Your Backyard?” at December Round Table

On Sunday, December 9th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host historian and author Greg Wade, who will present “Was the War in Your Backyard?”

There were over two hundred military actions in Williamson County and Franklin during the Civil War. Wade will highlight lesser-known battle sites. He will reveal the locations of the first Confederate casualty, actions once fought in today’s exclusive neighborhoods, and some fairly recently discovered unknown soldiers’ graves. Bushwhacking and guerilla activity were rampant during the war years and took place in areas surprising to residents of today’s Franklin.
 

Wade is the founder of the FCWRT and currently serves on the board of Franklin’s Charge and the Battle of Franklin Trust and has been part of the battlefield reclamation movement since 2005. He recently spoke at the annual American Battlefield Trust’s Color Bearers convention as well as organizing and presenting the recent 100th anniversary World War I and Civil War Memorial program at Franklin’s Masonic Lodge. He has presented various topics at Civil War seminars and Round Tables across the country and writes for various historical publications including the Civil War News. In 2014, he released a novel based largely on facts about the horror of life behind the lines in a rural East Tennessee valley called Broken Valley. A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, Wade and his wife, Beth, reside in Franklin. 

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton’s Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit https://www.franklinscharge.org/the-round-table.

“Grits to Glory” at November Round Table

On Sunday, November 11th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will host award-winning author, musician, historian and journalist Joe Johnston, who will present “Grits to Glory.”

Johnston will relate how the South and its cuisine rose to glory after being destroyed during the Civil War. Three major things came together to create today’s Southern cuisine: the post-war burden of poverty, memories of former slaves and traditions of Native Americans. Johnston will present interesting examples of our food “evolution” such as what Colonel Sanders and General John Hunt Morgan have in common, why oysters and bananas are Southern and which American Indian foods are in our kitchens now.

A native of Missouri, Johnston has published numerous books, and has worked nationally in marketing, music production and film. He was the inventor of the famous McDonald’s Happy Meal. Johnston will have copies of his book, Grits to Glory: How Southern Cookin’ Got So Good, for purchase.

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton’s Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit https://www.franklinscharge.org/the-round-table.

“The Lost Gettysburg Address” at October Round Table

On Sunday, October 14th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present historian David Dixon, who will speak on the lost Gettysburg address of Charles Anderson.

Charles Anderson was born to a family steeped in American history. His father was an aide-de-camp to Marquis de Lafayette during the Revolutionary War, his uncle was William Clark of Lewis & Clark fame, and his brother surrendered Fort Sumter. During the Civil War he served as colonel of Ohio’s 93rd Infantry, was wounded twice during the Battle of Stones River, and resigned his commission. 

Ascending to Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, Anderson gave a speech at Gettysburg, after Everett and Lincoln at the local Presbyterian Church. His 45-minute speech was well-received but forgotten compared to Everett’s 2-hour oratory and Lincoln’s historic comments. Decades later, when asked for a copy of his speech so it could be enshrined in Gettysburg, he could not find it. David Dixon began his extensive research when the lost address was discovered in 2015, in a cardboard box in Wyoming. 

Dixon earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of California and his M.A. in history from the University of Massachusetts.  In addition to being featured on various radio programs and many Civil War Round Tables across the country, he has published numerous articles in scholarly journals magazines. 

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton’s Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit https://www.franklinscharge.org/the-round-table.

“Battle of Johnsonville” at August Round Table

On Sunday, September 9th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Dr. Jerry Wooten, Park Manager at Tennessee’s Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, who will speak on the Battle of Johnsonville, and its critical role as a key Federal war time supply depot.

It was at the Battle of Johnsonville in the fall of 1864 that Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest captured several Union vessels using them to destroy supplies and arms in one of the largest losses of Union materials during the war. Dr. Wooten, former director of the Johnsonville State Historic Park, will discuss the war era facilities there, including some remains still visible today. Johnsonville, located in West Tennessee, was largely flooded after the construction of a dam in 1944.

Originally from Clarksville, Wooten received a Ph.D. in Public History at Middle Tennessee State, a Masters’ Degree in Public Administration from Murray State and his Bachelor of Arts in American History from Austin Peay State University. His first book, Johnsonville: The End of the Line, will be released next year. Some of Wooten’s prior positions include the Director of State Historic Sites for the Tennessee Historical Commission, Executive Director of the River Heritage Museum in Paducah, Kentucky, and Director of South Union’s Shaker Museum. He has received numerous awards for excellence in Resource Management and Stewardship of Historic Sites.

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton's Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit https://www.franklinscharge.org/the-round-table.

“Embalming Surgeons in Civil War” at August Round Table

On Sunday, August 12th at 3 P.M., the Franklin Civil War Round Table will present Dr. Todd Van Beck, who will speak on “Embalming Surgeons in the Great American Civil War.”

At the beginning of the Civil War there was no preparation for what would happen with those who died.  The common thought was that the war would be short and almost no one would be killed. Almost 700,000 deaths later, the process of caring for the dead became a huge chapter of the Civil War story. Dr. Van Beck will give an in-depth look at the huge challenge of caring for the living by processing the dead during the war.

Van Beck has been in funeral service, bereavement care, and church lay ministry for almost fifty years.  He is the author of hundreds of articles and books and a speaker on a wide variety of topics ranging from funeral customs to counseling and the psychology of grief.  He has spoken in Europe, New Zealand and around the world.  He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Mount Mercy University, a Masters’ Degree from Mount Saint Mary’s and an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service.  He has been recognized by many professional organizations for his work in the art and science of embalming.  He is currently the Director of Continuing Education Studies at the John A. Gupton College in Nashville.

The event is free to the public. The Franklin Civil War Round Table is an educational program of Franklin’s Charge, and meets each month at Carnton's Fleming Center, 1345 Eastern Flank Circle. For more information, email fcwrt@yahoo.com, or visit https://www.franklinscharge.org/the-round-table.